Traveling to Jerusalem, the center of all things Jewish, Jesus took the path that straddled two areas known for being outside the Jewish mainstream -- Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men who had been exiled to the outskirts of town because of the shame and contagiousness of their skin diseases, approached him. 13 They kept the legal distance from him and called out with loud voices, “Master Jesus, have pity and show us mercy!”
14 Jesus noticed them and responded, “Go to the priests so you can get the required check-up and clearance to return to society.” As the men were on their way, their diseases disappeared and they realized that their skin was clean, making them ritually clean -- their ticket to normal living.
15 One of the ten turned around and made a beeline back to Jesus as soon as he realized what had happened to him. The healed man was shouting praises to God as 16 he fell on his knees thanking Jesus. This man was a Samaritan -- a man loathed by Jews because of the Samaritan religious practices and the bad blood between ancient clans.
17 Jesus replied, “Could it be that I’m having a math problem here? Didn’t I heal ten men? What happened to the other nine? Where are they? No one has come back to honor God except this despicable foreigner.”
18 Then Jesus instructed the man to stand up and be on his way. He told him, “Your faith has healed you.” (Most certainly causing those within hearing distance to wonder why it was that Jesus was recognizing the saving faith of a Samaritan.)
